#vblight

       The crunch of gravel under boot-heel became far more pronounced upon taking those first few steps over the official threshold into the deeproads. There seemed to be a particular stillness in the already stagnant underground air, bringing attention to the scraping echoes as if to punctuate the oppressive uncertainty that laid ahead. It stopped Theo dead in his tracks where before, he had barely paid mind in favor of joking with the newcomer Oghren, sharing harsh sips from whatever was in his flask.

       Now, his upbeat poo-pooing of danger rang hollow in his bones as amber eyes scanned the vast, ancient stone arches that had been left to the mercy of time. He’d come to pride himself on adaptability in any situation...but...this was all completely foreign to him. Already, he yearned for the surface, again. They had barely yet ventured into the darkness and already he felt drowned by the underground alleys surrounding them, his heart gasping for a breath of fresh open-sky air.

      His hand subtly reached for the mabari at his side, scratching at the scruff of Toki’s neck for some semblance of comfort. It was passed off as the opposite, as if staying his hound’s unease instead, to mask his own anxieties the best he could.

EYES ALTERNATE between rory and the steaming cup. with a sharp exhale, no time is wasted bringing the liquid to her lips, letting it sit in her mouth for a moment before swallowing with a powerful gulp.

            "       SO YOU'RE.. not bodhan's cousin. and i.. am just an idiot." 

📖 for what my muse would write about yours in their diary.

Kingsway 20, 9:30 Dragon

I know I gripe a lot in this thing, but I want it known that there are some good things, too. As shit as things are, we still got each other right? We got booze, we got allies, we got each other…and that’s worth something innit? Got the travelin’ crew, got the other wardens…even if it’s only two. Alistair n Ruiha. My best mates, if I gotta say. I think Al would say the same…dunno bout Ru though. She’s always got a distance to her. There’s always somethin’ she’s not sayin. Which I get, it’s fine. I know the feeling…nobody cares for so long that you stop givin a shit yourself, yeah? I know the place she come from…all slums of our own. But seein’ it first hand when we went to Orzammar…it’s different. Seeing the people she done lived with, seeing her family and the caste bullshit system she’d lived under, beneath all that rock…it leaves a mark all its own. A mark significantly her own, that even an alienage elf can’t understand. I get the brand on her face better now, though. Ain’t some scar of rite, like us. It’s a brand of shame, to let people know just where ya belong. A brand fuckin’ babes where, born into situations they can’t even protest. It’s horseshit, and I know some part of her knows that, but here on the surface she’s as good as anyone else. The way she was raised, it don’t mean shit now. Ruiha is her own person, without title, without past, without none’a that weight. It’s who we all are, y’know? Wardens. We’re brothers and sisters and that’s it. Simple. Cut n’ dry. What we bring to the table, and that’s a lot for her end. Better than me, that’s for sure. I just wish she could see it….She could do so much if she just let herself. I sorta….Y’know, I wish I could bring myself to tell her how much I give a shit. I wish she knew how loved she was…at least before we all go. Maybe one of us will make it out of this…and if its her, she needs to know her own worth. Which is a hell of a lot more than some fuckers give her credit for. She could lead us all n’ I would follow….Fuck. Maybe she doesn’t want to stick around for that shit, though. I don’t know….I sure as hell wouldn’t, come to think of it….I guess we should all just be glad to have each other, in this moment. I’ll go stoke the fire and see if they’re awake. They’re the only family I have…might as well enjoy it while it lasts. Goodnight.

💬 for a text my muse would send about yours to a third party.  [[I used a random generator since you gave me too much liberty lol]]

9:57PM: We’re runnin a lil late but we’ll be there. Just remember she doesnt drink.

9:58PM: If u pressure her I’ll break ur fuckin nose I swear 2 the Maker

Maker’s breath, so many changes had happened with so much still to be done that Theo’s head nearly spun from his shoulders. In the midst of all the assigned chores and following battle, proper introduction had been the last thing on anyone’s mind. However, seeing a they were now destined as the last of the wardens, it would behoove the trio to fall upon more casual terms. Theo had already spent his time before and even after the joining attached to Alistair’s hip, but having dealt with so much, he figured it certainly couldn’t hurt to learn more about their partner. She had been a formidable woman - one he had hidden from until all else was stripped bare with the fall of their Order.

Only days had passed, yet everything had turned upside down. Now, they sat without a clue of what to do and all their comrades slaughtered, with some mysterious apostate banded alongside them. Luckily, he and Lyna had wound up with the same post to keep watch, so Theo would take full advantage of what he could. Cooking certainly wasn’t something he excelled at, but still he made the best of the ingredients the group had and spooned a few last mouthfuls into a bowl before tentatively offering it to his comrade.

“Not much, but it will keep you warm, eh?” He smirked, allowing his head to dip in a respectful bow before pulling his own warm bowl to his chest for some desperate grasp at comfort. What could have possibly been said after such devastating events? Perhaps turning to one’s past would help ease the dire state of the future...

" Well it is a perfectly valid question, most people hate mages or atleast don’t hold them in high regard. I saw you ‘sassing’ that other mage so I just figured…..you felt that way about them all." She muttered now feeling  might it foolish for asking him that in the first place. 

"Well, in my defense he was   being a bit of a grump, you   know. Nothing to do with his   being a mage, I promise. Noo   bigotry here, don't let the   whole.. Templar backstory   fool you."